East Aurora D131 Board Member Annette Johnson Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges
Annette Johnson, a board member of East Aurora School District 131, has pleaded not guilty to federal fraud charges in connection with an alleged kickback scheme. The charges, which include two counts of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud, were presented during her arraignment at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Liva indicated that each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine (or double the amount involved), and supervised release. Johnson was released on an appearance bond, with conditions including no contact with unnamed individuals in the criminal case and travel restrictions within the Illinois Northern District. The alleged scheme, which occurred between August 2021 and May 2023, involves Johnson reportedly accepting a payment of approximately $1.3 million from a reseller. This payment was allegedly in exchange for using her position as East Aurora’s school board president to facilitate the approval of a $2.7 million purchase o...
